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Wednesday, 14 May 2014

The title to this post is very 'fruity' with the peaches and plums being the colour scheme with a touch of black and gold. . Just in time for summer :-)

On Saturday night I went out to celebrate my friend finishing Uni. We went sure whether we were going to a nightclub or bar until last minute so my outfit was just that, very last minute !

I decided to wear my hair sleeked back into a ponytail for two reasons. 1 I was in a hurry and its very easy to do & 2 I had very dark smoky eyes with a nude lip so I wanted my eyes to be the main focus point.

For my make-up I went a bit dramatic with my eye shadow and really smoked it out. . Im usually wearing a bold lip also but on Saturday I decided to wear a nude lip with a little bit of No7 shimmering gloss . . I wore my Topshop highlighter on my brow bone, cheek bone, cupids bow, collar bone and shoulders. .I then used the Avon Dry Body oil spray on my legs to give them a healthy glow ! . .

Monday, 5 May 2014

This bank holiday weekend I was a busy body. I was out on the Saturday night for my sisters birthday and out on the Sunday night to watch the Derry Jazz Festival. It was a great weekend and I really enjoyed myself.

So on to my Saturday night outfit. For a few weeks I had in mind what I would wear to my sisters birthday : a nice mint green top with my French connection shorts. I had this outfit in mind for a long time and was excited to wear it. That was until I went around town on Saturday and found these floral highwaisted shorts . . I really had no intention of buying any clothing items but when I seen them I thought they were so cute and would go with a lot of outfits so I grabbed them. When I got home I tried them on and well, the mint green outfit was dropped LOL . .

I added a pop of colour and covered my arms with this green long sleeved V-neck blouse. . For shoes I wore my burgundy / purple barely there sandals with a purple & black clutch bag. . I decided to keep my hair simple so I straightened it with a middle parting and sleek pony tail. For jewellery I wore gold hoops and this stunning gold choker necklace with a large gem stone. . This necklace was a bargain at only £5.00 from a shop in Belfast !!!

Blouse, Shorts, Shoes & Clutch - Primark & Penney's

Hoops - Accessorize

Necklace - Muse in Belfast

You can let me know what you think about my outfit selection in the comments below :-) . .x

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Hello. . This blog post has been created for a guest post which will feature on ColeoftheballIm so obsessed with finding time for myself and being able to pamper myself . . im seriously a believer of making time for yourself whether it be an hour, a day or a few minutes . . you will instantly feel better when you've pampered yourself . .

My pamper night is a Friday and to be honest, it gets me through the week - I loveee seeing Friday because I spend the night getting ready for my Saturday night

So what does my pamper night consist of?

A hot bubble bath with lots of bubbles, candles and a magazine

I use my Soap & Glory exfoliator and Shower gel

Its then facial time - my favourite part. . I love getting all the dirt off my skin and out of my pores. . I use the Skin Truth products from Sallys beauty supplies . . these smell gorgeous and honestly leave my skin feeling super soft - I even use the brand on my clients when they come for facials

I then pop a facemask on and whilst it sets I go and make myself a cuppa, light more candles and turn on my spot lights - just to add some relaxation to the room

After 10 - 15 minutes I remove the face mask, then tone, then moisturise

I then pop on my teeth whitening strips and leave them on for around 45 minutes (only use whitening products once a week to make sure you don't cause too much damage to your teeth)

Its then time to do my nails - this takes up a bit of time but its worth it because I always feel better when my nails are done . . when there not painted I really feel euggghhhh - even my toes get done in Winter !!

I use nail products from the Skin truth range also . . Im usually a red kinda gal . . I love red nails because they are classy, timeless and go with everything . .

After my nails its time to spritz a little bit of coconut oil onto my pillow, put on a good DVD and kick back, relax and chill out !!xxI hope this post has inspired you to take some time for yourself to just chill out & relax xx

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Now that the nights are getting brighter, the weathers getting a bit warmer & the shops are looking more colourful I decided I would create a very Spring outfit to give you some inspiration for your next night out. .

Im a big fan of colour, even in the winter I enjoy mixing colour into my wardrobe whether it be pink coloured tights or a green handbag . I just love a pop of colour :-)

So I went online and put together this outfit with items I found . .I have an outfit very similar at home so wanted to recreate the look to give you all a bit of inspiration.

Ive chosen a pink blazer, off white peplum lace top, a floral skort and pink strappy court heels. I decided on pink to help bring out the pink flowers on the skort. .

For hair & make-up I would go for a sleek hair do, tied up in a pony with a funky twist at the front teamed with a smoky eye & bright pink lippie. . I know they say to never go for smoky eye and lip but I don't follow this rule because I love a colourful eye teamed with a bright lippie. . I have tried to go with a simple lip but I just don't like the look . .I like dramatic lips lol. .

Tip: to add some length to your legs add some highlighter & body oil along the shins and add some highlighter to shoulders & collarbones for a healthy natural glow . .

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Ever hear or see of a product and you are completely torn whether to get it or not ? Well that was me this weekend. . I was torn between Topshop Glow highlighter and No7 highlighter stick . .

I was torn for three reasons . . 1. The price - both are priced at just under £10.00, 2. I couldn't find any reviews on the Topshop glow but read reviews of the No7 highlighter and 3. I love No7 products but actually tried the Topshop one before, so knew what I was getting

To make my decision a little bit easier, I went to Boots and Topshop and 'swatched 'both highlighters. . By the title of this post you've prorably guessed which one I bought in the end LOL :-)

So heres my opinion and review on Topshop 'Glow' highlighter

First impressions were : Errr for £9.00 you don't get very much - well with this product a little goes a LONG way .

I applied the product to my brow bones, apples of my cheeks, cupids bow, down along the middle of my nose, my shoulders and my collar bones and I honestly didn't use that much

The product went on really smooth and blended in very well without smudging my make-up or tan

Because im very pale, I got the shade polish because the gleam shade had a bronzing effect that I thought wouldn't make the product very appealing on my skin

So im going to give this product 5* because im really loving it and didn't have to touch up the entire night

Friday, 21 March 2014

At Christmas I went shopping in Belfast and seen this gorgeous jacket - however I had no intention of actually buying it because I didn't think it was really my style. But I tried it on and actually really liked how it looked and felt. I was also really drawn to the jewelled detailing around the neck line.

Recently looking through numerous magazines, I've seen the bomber jacket making an appearance a lot. Especially on Rihanna. Today I've created this post to offer some inspiration on how to wear the bomber jacket.

I wore mine very casual with denim jeans, grey booties and a pink bobble hat. I never wear denim jeans - ever, but I was going for a casual look and this combination gave me the perfect finish.

Here's how I've worn mine

And here is how the celebs are wearing theirs:

Over a black outfit to add some colour

Paired with coloured bottoms which is a great trend for the Spring / Summer season

Monday, 10 March 2014

All that im seeing and hearing is people buying in their summer holiday essentials or people talking about booking their holidays - yep its that time of year again !

So today I've decided to offer my advice on when choosing the swimwear suited to your body shape *I'm in no way a fashion expert, these are strictly my opinions and advice*

The words 'bikini', 'beach' and 'summer' can be a daunted experience for many women & men . When I hear these words I think 'body', 'figure', 'tan' , 'naked' . . There's so many words that run through my head. But over the past year or so I've developed confidence in who I am and my body shape - the reason why? I've learnt to dress for my shape and understand that we are all different body shapes and sizes. And we are all FABULOUS!!

So here are 5 swimwear pieces that I've found that suit every shape . .

For ladies with a bigger bust, a halter neck top will help support your chest and provide balance between your hips and chest . This bikini is from Boohoo.

For ladies with a boyish figure, a high waisted bottom provides the illusion of curves by hugging to your bottom and coming up to your mid waist - it gives you the in then out look . This bikini can be found at Forever 21

The third bikini is great for ladies with a small bust. The contrasting lines provide focus to the middle area which creates the illusion of a bigger bust. The thick black belt on the bottoms make larger hips appear smaller which will help balance out your shape. This bikini can also be found at forever 21.

Show off your curves by wearing a swimsuit. The black side panels on both sets will take inches off your waist, making the middle sections the main focus point and giving you the desired hourglass figure.

A halter neck swimsuit is great for ladies with a bigger bust as it will provide support. The black panels on the sides take a few inches away from the waist and hips by making the pattern the focus point.

You can buy this swimsuit at Very.com and the leopard print bikini at Boohoo.com.

SUMMER 2014

Swimwear Tips and my experiences:

Ok so I am whiter than white, tan as a snowball, so I thought wearing a black bikini would make me look tanner . I was wrong. If anything the black bikini made my white parts whiter and my red burnt parts redder. Therefore I now wear coloured bikinis with coloured floral's.

Swimwear with frills will help reduce the size of larger areas .i.e. the bust or hip area

Wear sunscreen !! . .I didn't one year and my first week was ruined because I couldn't move. Now I wear a factor 50 and carry some fake tan with me for night.

I hope this guide has helped or will help you when buying your holiday swimwear.

Saturday, 8 March 2014

So recently ive had a lot of questions regarding make-up, techniques and equipment . equipment being the most popular. Something that ive learned the past few months is that the brushes or sponges you use are the most important element in applying make-up. Now we all love our high-end pricey items - every girl does but using the wrong equipment wont do your make-up justice :-(

What I do is buy high-street brands: Rimmel, No7, collection 2000, MUA etc. Recently ive been using the No7 Radiance boost foundation and im really loving it. When I first got the product I was using a random foundation brush from Superdrug, however I found that the strokes of the brush were visible on my skin. Not such a great look :-(.

After much research I decided to invest in a good set of make-up brushes and the Real techniques were top of my list. Id been lusting after these for some time but at £22.00 I thought they were a bit steep . However I decided to take the plunge & buy the Core Collection . WOW im so glad I did !!

There is four brushes in the pack: Contour brush, Buffing brush, detailed brush and the Pointed Foundation brush. I user these brushes everyday and use each on for a variety of purposes

Buffing brush

To blend in my foundation, blusher, contour and highlight

Contour brush

To apply definition to my cheekbones, forehead and nose using a brown eye shadow

Detailed brush

To apply and blend in concealer, and blending in a white eyeliner pencil around my eyebrows

Pointed foundation brush

To get in those hard to reach places i.e. corners of the nose and to help blend in areas where I need a bit more concealer

So that's my advice on what make-up brushes to buy. These can be purchased individually from around £8.00 up but I decided to get a set to save money in the long run. These 4 brushes would last you a long time and they would be the only 4 you would need.

Monday, 3 March 2014

Hello all & hello March . . There a few reasons why I love March - 1.the beginning of spring, 2.celebrating being Irish & 3. my birthday is on the 2nd day . . & this year it was a big one . . I turned 21 . .

So to celebrate this milestone I wanted to get a dress or outfit that would mean something special & I would look back on and be very fond of . .so after searching online & every shop in town, I finally came across this stunning purple sparkly dress in Debenhams . . There was only one left & it was a size small so I kind of thought it would be too small for me but when I tried it on it fitted like a glove & I was in dress love . .

There may be rules in fashion but rules are there to be broken, right? So I broke the leg or chest rule & showed a bit of both . . I also broke the smoky eye or bold lip . . this is actually something I do a lot. . I always wear a smoky or coloured eye with a bold lip .

I decided to go all out with the glitz & glam and wore my silver glittery heels & matching clutch from Accessorize . . I wore my hair in tight curls, brushed them out and back combed my hair then decided to put it to the side with a diamante clip on the opposite side . . for jewellery I wore my new stunning necklace from my brother & GF along with some arm candy from Accessorize . .

I had such a great weekend & got some amazing gifts - I honestly got a new wardrobe worth of clothes, a stunning pair of heels, jewellery, nail art, soap & glory, Pandora charms, chocs & some Sheer Cover make-up which is honestly amazing. . It covered up the redness on my cheeks and forehead - I will do a review on this product . .

Heres a few pictures from my birthday . .

A big THANK YOU to everyone who made this birthday so special & to everyone who was there to celebrate with me <3 . .x

Monday, 24 February 2014

. How has everyones weekend been? I was working all weekend & had a girlie night out on Saturday night. . unfortunately I didn't get any outfit pictures :-( . . however I do have a 'What I wore' post today .

I really love this outfit . . I bought the trousers last year in Primark for a bargain of £1.00 - Can you believe it !! I was so surprised, I thought there had to be a catch somewhere but they were just the last pair so were reduced to low. . I actually wasn't going to get them because they were a size smaller but I thought ' For £1.00 im sure ill cope if there too wee' . . but when I got home & tried them on they were a perfect fit - YAYYY

Ive worn these trousers on many different occasions & each time I pair them with different shoes and a different top. .

It seems that this outfit would be very overpowering but because only one item is printed, the look is balanced out as the other items are plain . . the fur gilet helps to add some colour to help break the outfit up. .

Friday, 21 February 2014

Now that spring is only a few weeks ago I decided to put together a spring outfit . . although it was very miserable and dull out, I decided to bring some brightness into my day . . I wore a neon orange top, a white blazer & floral leggings . . because there was a lot of colour going on I decided to wear nude court heels. .I added some accessories to my hair with this gold & pearl hair chain . .

I love patterned bottoms because they can instantly make up an outfit. . when I wear printed bottoms I usually wear a plain top & plain jacket. . just so nothing overlooks the bottoms. .

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Recently ive been getting many compliments and enquires about how ive styled my hair. .and today im going to share with you how to achieve a salon finished look in the comfort of your own home by using the Remington Hotbrush

I received the Remington Hotbrush for the Christmas of 2012 as a present from my parents . . My hotbrush lay in my wardrobe for a few months collecting dust because I just couldn't figure out how to use it. . when I used it I would often get my hair tangled which would be very painful or I would get wired looking hair as a result of allowing the curls to sit too long. .

Then in the summer I decided to get it out and work around with it. . after a while I figured how to use my hotbrush . . so today im going to share my tips on how to use the hotbrush . .

Step 1: divide hair into sections & use a heat or shine spray on the hair

Step 2: separate these sections into sections no wider than two fingers width

Step 3: place the tips of the section around the brush and then gentle rotate the brush up to the roots

Step 4: hold for up to 20 - 30 seconds & then unravel hair from the brush (the hold time is optional)

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

. . Hi everyone . .Its been a few days since ive last updated my blog . .Im back today with something a little different . . Its very clear that diets & health juices have become very popular recently and with the new year just began, more people are jumping on the healthier lifestyle bandwagon . .

For every juice you create, you use a lot of fruit & fruit isn't very cheap . . & from personal experience, consuming so much fruit is not great for your digestive system . . therefore I have rounded up my top 5 healthy ingredients that are money friendly & great for your body, hair, skin, nails & metabolism . .

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

The first ingredient is apple cider vinegar . . this is a natural remedy that has been used for many years to help maintain a healthy lifestyle . .

The main health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar are:

Supports the digestive systems

Used over salads or can be drank straight from the bottle . . I have tried this & found the taste very strong so I just pour some over my salads

Can be used to rinse hair to provide a healthy natural shine , remove product build up and help treat itchy flaky scalps

It acts as a great toner for everyday use

2. Lime

We all know how important water is but we still never drink enough . .we spend thousands upon thousands a year buying in all the latest skincare products that promise to give us that healthy glow but we never go to our taps & get our water for free. .

I add lime to my water . . my water tastes much nicer & leaves me feeling a lot more fresh . .

Limes are a great source of calcium . . they are an advantage to our gums, eye care, the digestive system and skincare

3. Lemon

Lemons provide our bodies with a natural detox . .it is recommended that we consume citrus fruits on a daily basis . . Lemon can be added to water to give a refreshing boost to our bodies & can also be added to warm water to help remove any toxins within our bodies

Lemon is also used on the hair during the summer months as the ingredients help to naturally lighten hair & give a natural highlight to the hair

You can either use an actual lemon or bottled lemon juice . . At the moment I use bottled lemon juice that I purchased from my local supermarket . . I simply add a few drops to my water each day . .

4.Summer seeds

Im such a fan of seeds & nuts . . recently I've been taking the Summer seeds from Sainsbury's . . I put them in my cereal, salads, soup & sandwiches . .they are a great source of energy & taste great . . they are a great alternative to diary products as they offer good fats and protein to the diet without leaving you feeling bloated in the way that bread does . .

5. Water

Last but not least : WATER ! . . .Water is so important in our diets and we should aim to drink at least 8 glasses a day . . it sounds easy but most of the population are dehydrated because we do not drink enough water . . Recently ive been finding myself drinking a lot more water due to engaging in more exercise . .Ive found that im now craving water over tea, coffee & other sugary drinks . .

Thursday, 6 February 2014

. . Im back today to show you how I created my Spring/Summer Nails for 2014 . .

Im sure most of you already know how to create the nails but I thought id create a post to explain how I got my colourful manicure . .

The first step I took was painting a French manicure . . I did this for two reasons: 1) the white tips will act as a guideline so my coloured tips will be straight & 2) the white undercoat will make the colours stand out more

The second step I took was finding 5 different shades that I love. . I used my Sally Hansen, O.P.I & Jess brands to create my look . .

The third step was to create the tips using the different colours . . For this step, I arranged the colours in an order that I thought looked well & each colour compliments each other . .

So there you go . .Follow these 3 easy steps to recreate a brightly coloured manicured look . . You don't have to use these colours . .you can chose your own & chose as many different colours as you like . .x

Sunday, 2 February 2014

So ive decided to create a topic on my blog - its called 'How to Wear' . . Each week im going to take one item of clothing & show how it can be worn more than once or how to style an item that seems difficult to style . .

To kick off my new topic , ive decided to take the LBD aka little black dress and show how it can be worn 3 different ways . . its a styling know that every girl should have an LBD in her wardrobe. .they are perfect for every occasion and you can not go wrong sporting one of these . .

Because its black it goes with just anything & everything . . there is no need to go out and buy a completely new outfit that you may only wear once . . What I do, is take my LBD & style it using different accessories, bags & shoes . . I also change up an outfit by changing my lip colour and hair style . .

The second look ive opted for a purple tone with purple heels, purple & silver earrings and my new purple & black clutch bag . .purple is one of my favourite colours . . I would wear this with a berry lip & smoky eyes . .

The third look ive kept my bag & shoes simple, allowing my statement necklace to be the main focus point of the outfit . .cream is such a relaxed look, an effortless but chic outfit creator . . cream helps to lighten up the outfit without being over powering, this is why ive added a statement necklace - to create a focus point to the outfit . .

If you have any questions or comments, post them below & ill get back to you

Whenever I look at people I always notice their nails . . even with myself, if my nails aren't in good condition with a nice polish, I don't feel my best but if Im feeling not great, I just paint my nails & it instantly perks me up . .

I work in retail so I come face to face with many people & serving at a till requires me to use my hands very often, so I try to maintain my nails & keep them looking healthy as much as possible . .

1 - My twist on the classic French Manicure . . I taking my nails & painted the tips a different colour - this look is perfect for Spring / Summer . . you can also create this look with one colour i.e. black or red

2 - these nails were done by my Aunt in the summer . . I just loved both the colours so I decided to create a pattern on the base . . I experiment with my nails so I decided to give each nail a different pattern. . if this isn't for you why not get a pattern on your ring finger ?

Thursday, 30 January 2014

. . Im such a fan of floral patterns & bright colours . . they can make an outfit when teamed with a plain top & jacket paired with court heels or pumps . . Im also a big fan of skorts & was first introduced to these items when I was a child. . my mammy would always dress me in skorts during the summer months & I always loved that they were shorts at the back & a skirt at the front. . it meant when I was out playing I could climb from tree to tree & jump over walls being comfortable . .

So last year when I seen skorts making an appearance I was so excited . . for this year there back and more popular than ever . . I surfed the net to find a pair that I loved & I found the nicest pairs on Boohoo . .

How to wear a skort ?

These can be worn for many different occasions . . a night out, a day at the beach or out for lunch on a hot day . .my number one tip would pair them with a plain tee as you don't want anything to overlook the skort because the pattern is so 'busy' and eye-catching already . .

Saturday, 25 January 2014

. . Ive some exciting news to share with all of you and its extra exciting if your a fake tan fan . .

Opening my emails today I came across an exciting mail from Laurens Way Tan . . for those who don't know the brand, Laurens Way Tan was created by The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger . . her tan is a high favourite for many beauty gurus, bloggers & youtubers with raving reviews . .

So what did the email entail ? Ohh well they sent me some exciting information about their new Darker than Dark Glam Tan & its release date - Whose excited about this ??

Coming into summer its a sure thing we all desire a natural healthy looking bronzed body that remains streak free, looking good & smelling great and this tan offers these results . .

There are also many desirable features about this tan including:

- a spray bottle to allow for easy application

- a colour guide to help combat streaks and,

- a quick drying process so theres no waiting around for the tan to dry

If you cant wait until March 2014 - then pop on over to http://www.laurensway.com/ to check out her amazing range of tans on sale now. .

. . Oh, I hadn't realised it was almost a week since I updated my blog . . im back today with an OOTD . . I posted this picture on my facebook page & twitter page and it got a great response . . a lot of people asked me where I got the items & told me they really liked it . . therefore ive decided to complete my post about it today . . yippee

I remember when I was 12 my parents got me a tartan skirt for Christmas one year & I was just so crazy about it . . I wore it every Saturday & kept it in my best clothes section . . the skirt was pleated with a few leather buckles & some fringing to it . . I was totally obsessed with it . . looking back now I think - oh my gosh . . but my 12 year old self loved it . . so when I seen tartan making a comeback I kept thinking of the 12 year old becca & I just wasn't in love with the look - that was until I took an unexpected trip to Belfast and seen this tartan skirt in a shop in castle court . .

I have to admit, I had this skirt for a long time before I wore it but I was heading to my cousins 18th & thought id pull it out. . I teamed it with this black high neck mesh top, black tights & my black bootie heels . . I worse tights because 1. its winter & 2. it is kinda on the short side . .

I was looking everywhere for a top similar to this because for the following seasons, high necks & turtle necks are going to be a sure thing - so I opted for a neutral colour that I can pair of anything & everything . .

to add some colour to my outfit I opted for my gold mirror belt . . I found this broke the outfit & added a nice subtle touch . . because of the high neck top, I decided to wear my hair out of my face but added a smoky eye & red lippie - Yep I broke the rule of 'bold eyes or bold lips' . .